Guardian Glass North America announces Vitrum Glass Group as the first company to earn Guardian Select Elite Fabrication certification for architectural glass fabricators in the United States and Canada.

Vitrum achieved Guardian Select Elite Fabricator status because of its advanced capabilities and quality standards. State-of-the-art processing equipment, practices and measuring devices helps the company meet the Elite Optical Quality specification, a new specification from Guardian Glass that requires stringent specification targets and processing controls are in place to help achieve the highest level of optical qualities of glass on a project.

“We’re proud to be the first Guardian Select Elite Fabricator,” says Vitrum President Thomas Martini. “As projects require more complex products and have increased quality requirements, it’s important to collaborate on an improved standard. Synergy between the glass fabricator and glass manufacturer is key to give the end user the confidence of a successful project.”

“We congratulate Vitrum for being the first fabricator to embrace Guardian’s newly enhanced fabricator program and complete the Elite level of certification,” says Brian Schulz, Segment Marketing Manager, Commercial for Guardian Glass North America. “Vitrum understands architects are demanding higher optical quality standards. We look forward to taking our partnership – which reaches back to the early 2000s – to new levels of architectural glazing performance.”

Martini agrees. “The wide variety of Guardian SunGuard coated glass products and resources paired with Vitrum’s ability to offer all products and processes under one roof – as well as our plans to introduce a new level of automation – positions us well as a Guardian Select Elite Fabricator,” he says.

Vitrum, which tempers more than 10M sf of glass and fabricates 600,000 sealed units annually, also recently added capacity to expand its project roster: A new 175,000 sf manufacturing building adjacent to the original 1996 facility in Langley comes on the heels of a 65,000 sf fabrication site just north of Calgary.

“Communication is essential in planning and managing successful projects,” Martini says. “Staying on top of new products and industry trends with the help of manufacturers like Guardian Glass is crucial.”

The Southport Office Complex is a great example of successful projects from Vitrum and Guardian Glass.

Designed by ZGF Architects, the three office buildings are the standouts in a mixed-use complex on Lake Washington in Renton, Washington. Vitrum, Guardian and independent Glazier Connection™ member Walters & Wolf worked together to secure the project, which boasts 105,000sf of Guardian SunGuard^® SNX 62/27 coating on clear glass and 89,000sf of spandrel glass.

“The combination of the location, design and the glass created a beautiful project,” says Tara Brummet, Business Development Manager, US Markets for Vitrum. “Guardian Glass is always a fantastic partner. The support, assistance and product quality are always appreciated and help Vitrum to be successful.”

Visit the Guardian Glass new Guardian Select Fabricator Program page for more information.